south korea. meaning it will deal with every issue with the south in a wartime manner. this follows a string of warnings and threats by north korea against south korea and the u.s. for its routine military drills. nbc's ian williams is in south korea with the very latest on this escalating tension. ian, good morning. >> not only did north korea today declare what it calls a state of war, it said it will now deal with south korea according to wartime regulations. now, it's not exactly clear what that means. since this peninsula has been in a technical state of war for 60 years. there never having been a formal peace treaty after the korean war. officials here in seoul dismissed the latest outburst as more of the same. it followed a massive rally in the northern capital friday, where tens of thousands turned out in support of north korean leader kim jong-un's call to arms. chanting, death to the u.s. imperialists. kim said earlier that the time had come to, quote, settle accounts with the u.s. this was in response to a u.s. show of force, b-2 bombers in exercises over south korea. kim

-agression pact with south korea after united nations sanctions. >> dozens had to caracas to their final farewell to hugo chavez. >> on international women's day, we look at an initiative in india to train women cabdrivers. north korea says it is scrapping a non-agression pact with south korea and canceling the armistice agreement between them. >> these threats come after the united nations security council put fresh sanctions on the communist country over its nuclear program. they have called for calm and restraint, saying the situation on the korean peninsula is highly complex and sensitive. >> the german foreign minister has urged china to use its influence on p'yongyang to stop its provocative actions. >> propaganda and north korean style. state tv shows kim jong un visiting units close to the border with south korea. his focus is on a south korean island, a gesture aimed to provoke neighbors and please the north korean people. tensions have heightened since the regime scrap its non- agression pact with south korea and threaten the u.s. with strikes. south koreans are respondin

launch app in response to ongoing drills by the united states and south korea. the pentagon says this only heightens the nuclear threat. coming up we are going to have the latest news from the pentagon and a discussion with a former u.s. ambassador to the united nations, john bolton. but first, we are awaiting a speech by one of the most outspoken critics of obama's health care law and momentarily he'll be addressing this year's conservative political action conference cpac as it's known. hello, everyone, glad you're with us, i'm gregg jarrett and welcome to america's news headquarters. >> thanks for joining us, i'm hell they are childress. and america's most influential conservatives, and speaking michele bachmann, take a look at her live there. in a few minutes the health care debate will take center stage with dr. ben carson, who is considered a trail blazer by some republicans, for his views. molly henneberg is there at cpac live with the latest, molly? >> reporter: good morning, heather, good morning, gregg. yes, dr. carson will speak after michele bachmann finishing at the podiu

kim jong-un has ordered missile units to attack south korea and the u.s. mainland after american bombers flew trianing missions across south korea. >> he is young, untested, and says he wants to settle scores with american imperialists. he rallied his generals to aim the rockets at u.s. bases in hawaii. north korea is on a war footing, with military parades in pyongyang. news broadcasts are full of theater and threats, 20 this far alone. from turning washington to a lake of fire and cutting military hotlines to south korea. it is an effort to eget washington's attention. they say the bellicose record only deepens the isolation in the u.s. and the u.s. remains committed to its allies, and demonstrated it. fromuclear capables flew missouri to the penninsula of korea. china appealed for calm. nobody believes north korea will launch rockets but a small incident could escalate. >> sergei lavrov saiys unilateral actions could mena it could spiral out of control. he may have meant north korea as much as the u.s. >> the war of words is part of the relationship with washington and pyongya

. >> let's begin in north korea where leaders are threatening south korea with words and actions again. >> today, the north announced that it is cutting off a key communication line with south korea. it is a hotline that both these countries use to monitor traffic to a shared industrial complex. >> yeah, the north also delivering a new warning to south korea's leader telling her to "watch her tongue when talking about pyongyang." this is just the latest in a series of attacks some directed squarely at the united states. >> we're following this from all angles. matthew chance is on the phone in the south korean island of -- matthew, let's start with you. you shall certainly in a place where there is a lot of concern about what is taking place. tell us why this is so dangerous that you have a key hotline, a communications line, that has now been severed. >> well, i think it's significant in a sense that there aren't that many channels of communication that exist between north and south korea, particularly between their militaries. but this is a cold nation line essentially to oversee the

states and south korea. the u.s. secretary of defense has denounced the provocative action. >> he met with top military leaders and ordered the preparation that to two u.s. stealth bombers flew over south korea. the north korean military has staged a massive rally in support of the operation to prepare for a massive attack. >> thousands accounting "death to the u.s. imperialists cornerman after a call to arms against south korea and the united states. over the border in south korea, many are worried p'yongyang might act on its debts. there's been a string of worrying signs, including the latest nuclear test in february. tendons on the peninsula are high. >> i am nervous. i do not want north korea to talk like that, but we cannot control them. i am afraid they target the u.s. if that happens, we could be attacked, too. >> north korea is taking a strong stance, but they do not think they are going to get anywhere with this behavior. i think they have to come to the negotiating table for talks. >> the latest tensions come after u.s. stealth bombers flew over south korea in a joint milita

states and south korea. the u.s. secretary of defense has denounced the provocative action. >> he met with top military leaders and ordered the preparation that to two u.s. stealth bombers flew over south korea. the north korean military has staged a massive rally in support of the operation to prepare for a massive attack. >> thousands accounting "death to the u.s. imperialists cornerman after a call to arms against south korea and the united states. over the border in south korea, many are worried p'yongyang might act on its debts. there's been a string of worrying signs, including the latest nuclear test in february. tendons on the peninsula are high. >> i am nervous. i do not want north korea to talk like that, but we cannot control them. i am afraid they target the u.s. if that happens, we could be attacked, too. >> north korea is taking a strong stance, but they do not think they are going to get anywhere with this behavior. i think they have to come to the negotiating table for talks. >> the latest tensions come after u.s. stealth bombers flew over south korea in a joint milita

alison kosik. >>> png is threatening south korea with war, so is the north really getting ready to start a full scale conflict? >>> in tulsa, health officials are expecting hundreds of people to turn up for free screenings. they were all patients of a dentist who may have exposed them to hiv and hepatitis. >>> and this man's list of legal clients reads like a who's who of criminals, so why is this self-styled lawyer behind bars? it's all ahead. >>> let's go ahead and start with some new threats from north korea. the country says it has entered a state of war with south korea. that's according to north korea's state-run news agency. pyongyang also threatened to dissolve the u.s. but washington and south korea say this is not the first time that the north has made such threats. the national security council said this -- we take these threats seriously and remain in close contact with our south korean allies. but, we would also note that north korea has a long history of bellicose rhetoric and threats and today's announcement follows that familiar pattern. cnn international anchor jim

a war with south korea and willing to attack the united states without any prior notice. this topping a week of bizarre news and harsh rhetoric. the state controlled media releasing these images of kim jong un and top generals pouring over plans to bomb the united states. they vowed to defend their leaders to the death and today, a new threat to shut down a factory complex seen as the last major symbol of cooperation with south korea. elizabeth pran is following the story. >> reporter: like you said we've seen a stream of threats that continue. statements reaching an all time high. north korea says this is the final warning. >> from this time on the north-south relations will be entering the stay of war and all issues raised between the north and south will be handled accordingly. a state of peace nor war has ended on the korean peninsula. >> reporter: the young leader threatening to close an industrial complex. manufacturing plants from both north and south korea not far from the border. thousands of north koreans work there. they say the threat is unhelpful to the country's

, and those in south korea. >> suarez: state media also released photographs of kim and his senior generals during an emergency meeting late last night. they're seen looking at a map, purportedly showing u.s. cities that might be targeted by north korean missiles. the white house responded through a spokesman traveling with president obama today. he said bellicose rhetoric only deepens north korea's isolation. on thursday, a more forceful demonstration: a pair of b-2 stealth bombers flew 6,500 miles to south korea and back, as part of ongoing joint military exercises een the two nations. the chairman of the joint chiefs, general martin dempsey, addressed the flight during a briefing with defense secretary chuck hagel. >> the reaction to the b2 that we're most concerned about is not necessarily the reaction it might elicit in north korea, but rather among our japanese and korean allies. you know those exercises are mostly to assure our allies that they can count on us to be prepared to and to help them deter conflict. >> suarez: all of this began with north korea's latest nuclear te

officials have unilaterally to scrap all non-aggression agreements with south korea. their announcement follows the u.n. security council's approval of tougher sanctions against the north. council members made the move to punish the reclusive nation for carrying out a nuclear test last month. ♪ >> translator: the united states and south korea went as far as adopting a u.n. security council resolution to impose more sanctions on our country while trying to set off a newark war. >> a statement by the committee in charge of interkorean dialogue says north korea will scrap non-aggression pacts with the south starting monday. the statement says the country will close the north-south hotline at the demilitarized zone. authorities at pyongyang said they would cancel the 1953 armistice. they justified that decision by saying they were responding to u.s.-south korea military exercises that start ad week ago and will continue into april. >>> north korea's announcement has sparked strong reactions in seoul. south korean defense officials say they are ready to strike back against anything that th

>> a threat of war. north korea cuts military lines with the south and warns of an imminent conflict. hello there. you're watching al jazeera live from doha. also ahead, fears of a bank run in sibe us are. doors of banks prepare to reopen. somalia's president gives us his response to a report of security forces and refugees. prayers of passion. day two of the u.s. supreme court hearing on gay marriage. north korea has again ratcheted south, ons with the a military official said there is no communications in a situation where "war may break out at any moment. tensions have risen following u.s. and south korea military drills and un sanctions over the north's military tests. >> the north korean television showed pictures of leader kim jong-un -- the military was doing what it could to turn up the tension. they informed south korea they were cutting off the hot line that connects the two militaries, saying that no words, only arms would work. another statement from the foreign minister was relayed by a newsreader. >> the korean peninsula is now in a touch and go situation due t

. plus, north korea enters a state of war against south korea. we will ask our sunday panel have the firey threats reached the danger point? and our power player of the week, 9 untold story of how a doctor saved the life of ronald reagan. all right now on "fox news sunday." >> chris: hello again and happy easter from hannon: andnda ooton arom fox news in washington. after months of debate, the senate is finally ready to vote on new gun control legislation. one of the people at the center of the issue is mark kelly, retired astronaut and navy captain and the husband of former congress woman gabby giffords who was shot two years ago. captain kelly joins us from tucson, arizona. after newtown there was internationalout rage over -- national outrage over the acts of mass violence but that has begun to change. cbs has a new poll just aicaler the massacre 57% supported stricter gun controls and now that is down to 47% and harry reid says the bill he was introduce the week after next won't include a ban on assault we to vons and won't include a limit on high capacity magazines. question, sh

untaking aim at u.s. and south korea. he will put his rockets on standby, the leader is quote ready to settle accounts on the u.s. post midnight meeting with senior generals. his rocket preparation plantar gets military bases in the u.s., including guam, hawaii as well as south korea. you see the large-scale map in the photograph with trajectory plans. this is one day after the u.s. dropped nuclear capable b-2 bombers with military drills with south korea. the state department said the decision to send the bombs was part of a normal exercise but officials are not ignoring the provocative threats. >> when a country says the kinds of things that the dprk is saying you have to take it seriously and you have to take steps.sure when we say in response we can and will defend our own nation. >> obviously in our country we're building additional interceptors. i met with general therm man this morn hog handles our u.s. operations and they're prepared for anything that might take place. >> reporter: now many an -- analysts say the regime's missile are not capable of making landfall here in the u

the north appears to be preparing for more combined military exercises, he says south korea is on alert for additional provocations. we also refer to the sinking of a south korean patrol ship three years ago. they're prepared to we respond with 10,000 times more forth from any action from the north. >>> government officials from japan, china, and south korea have begun their first round of free trade talks in seoul. the talks will last three days until thursday, attendees include japan's deputy foreign minister, and representatives from china and south korea. discussions will be held in separate groups to cover different issues, including tariffs, investment rules, and liberalization of service industries. the stakes are large. china is japan's biggest trading partner while south korea is third. if combined the gross domestic product of the three countries would account for about 20% of the world economy. japanese officials say they open an fta will expand trade and investment and one factor shadowing the talks is continued territorial attention affecting japan and other members.

of war with south korea and yesterday issuing a direct threat to the united states, claiming to have its rockets on stand by and ready to strike at any moment. liz bem prann is live for us in washington on the latest developing story. elizabeth. >> along with the threat of war, just this morning, kim jong-un threatened to shut down the caisson industrial complex, a zone of industrial plants from both north and south korea not far from the border. the park which continues to operate normally produce 470 million dollars worth of goods last year alone. south korea says the threat is quote, unhelpful to the country's already unstable relations. and yet, the young leader continues his chest-pounding rhetoric with these photos of an elaborate rocket plan to targeting both military bases, as well as cities in the u.s. it's not believed that north korea has the missile technology to strike the u.s. mainland, but it's capable of targeting neighboring countries and even selected u.s. military bases within those regions. he claims to be responding to the military drills in neighboring south kor

korea announcing it entered a state of war with south korea. kim jong-un required rockets are ready to be fired at seoul and american bases. they revealed two nuclear capable b-2 stealth bombers. ian is covering the situation from the south. >> reporter: officials in seoul dismissed the latest outburst of more of the same. it followed a massive rally in the northern capital friday where tens and thousands came out in support of kim jong-un's charge, shouting death to the u.s. imperialists. >> escalating military confrontations would lead to further isolation. here's nbc news chief foreign affairs correspondent andrea mitchell. >> he has 8,000 troops poised 40 miles from seoul and the big worry is there could be a mistake. a miscal lags by the north would force the first woman president to retaliate. she has very little flexibility and that would instantly bring the united states into this conflict. >> earlier today north korea threatened to close the industrial complex but that site does remain open. hundreds of south koreans travel there daily. they consider the status of the the best

cooperation between north korea and south korea. of incoment source for north korea, they threatened to shut it. latest in a series of escalating threats. it comes just shortly after they said they would enter a state of war with south korea. a pattern the desert familiar to south korea. no peace agreements signed since the end of the fighting in 1950. generations have lived with the threat of war. whoses also a country relationship with the u.s. has created a more confident facility. >> if they fire one missile, we should fire back two. talking and warning of the war is only raising tensions, but it is north korea who is afraid. previousrth had made declarations of war in the past. in 1993 and 2009. they stopped short of starting one. they knew too well. but he was young and they tested his leadership. analysts say that he may want to prove himself to the powerful military. strong deterrents like the ones that the u.s. and south korean governments have displayed to make sure that kim jong un does not make reckless miscalculations. >> he may also be following a pattern used by his father. >>

threat north korea. the young leader has declared his nation is in a state of war with south korea. this comes as north korea threatens american cities. here's more on the threats and how the white house is responding. >> a steady steam of threats that escalate as menacing statements reach all-time high. the young leder kim jong-un that the korean peninsula is in a state of the war. >> from this time on, north/south relations are entering into a state of war and all issues will be handled accordingly. a state of the neither peace nor woor. >> and they released a photograph of the middle of the night meeting with his staff. targeting the military bases. the large scale map with trajectory planned. it is not believed that they have the missile technology to strike the u.s. man land but capable of tarketing military bases. this meeting comes a day after the u.s. conducted joint military drills with south korea. the decision to send the b-2 bombers was par normal exercises but they are not ignoring the provocative threats. >> when a country said the kinds of things that the dprk is saying we

of the communist regime said it is entering a state of war with south korea. this after his threat yesterday to strike the u.s. mainland. ordering missal units to prepare for an attack on u.s. bases in a moment's thts. the military footing adding to the tension. here is a picture north korea released showing president kim jong-un and his generals in what looks like some kind of a war room and on the wall a map that appears to show a diagram of missal routes targeting hawaii, los angeles, washington and austin, texas. the u.s. is now considering its next move with a country that has a long history of trouble making. elizabeth is live in washington with more. elizabeth? >> we are getting fresh reaction from the security council. a spokeswoman released a statement and in part it says we take these threats seriously and remain in contact with our south korean allies. but we would also note that north korea has a long history of rhetoric and threats. today's announcement follows that familiar pattern. she went on to say the council and the defense department remains fully prepared and c

yesterday you and i were talking about this new defense pact between the u.s. and south korea in order to defer provocative threats from north korea. what are you learning today? >> here comes the latest escalation and it's one pentagon officials are telling us they are taking very seriously. their worry that this could lead to the kind of provocations that could, quote, take us to a place that neither side wants to go. north korea declared itself combat ready. pyongyang went beyond threats and put its rocket in long-range artillery forces at their highest combat alert. >> we will achieve nothing by these threats of provocations. >> reporter: north korea's military alert comes at a sensitive time. the three-year anniversary of the sinking. they say the north torpedoed its ship and killed 46 sailors. north korea directly threatened u.s. military bases in hawaii, the mainland, and guam. it doesn't have the capability to hit the u.s. but tens of thousands of american troops are in range deployed to bases in south korea, japan, the philippines, and guam. >> the u.s. is fully capable of def

to trigger nuclear war. >>> american forces in south korea held a large military drill on thursday. this follows north korea's threat on tuesday to scrap the 1953 armistice agreement that ended the korean war. the drill took place at a u.s. base in the northern part of south korea. about 250 american and south korean soldiers participated in the maneuver. they practiced coming down ropes to the ground from three transport helicopters hovering at 20 meters. the american forces say this is their first major landing drill in south korea involving a special airborne unit from the u.s. mainland. >> we are able to strengthen our bonds and relationships by working hand-in-hand on this training and these exercises and just building those bonds of relationships and keeping the peace and stability. >> the top u.s. military commander in south korea says the armistice agreement has ensured peace and stability on the korean peninsula for 60 years and that america is ready to defend its ally. >>> japan's central bank policymakers have upgraded their assessment of the economy saying the decline h

b2 bombers roared overhead and into the area for a bombing drill with south korea. the white house believes that there is more bluffing going on here than actual plans for war. as kpix5's allen martin tells us, what washington worries about most is a small attack on south korea that explodes into a much larger conflict. >> north koreaen soldiers cleared today. chanting, death to u.s. imperialism in a highly cooer cooreographed display. missiles targeting the united states. there's no evidence a north koreaen missile could reach the u.s. mainland. highlight the movement, which patrols pacific waters. and a state run news report announced the north koreaens are ready to target several targets, including u.s. bases in guam, south korea, and hawaii. north koreaen is common every spring when the united states and south korea engage in military exercises. but u.s. officials concede there is no way of knowing exactly what kim will do or when. >> the best theory is that north korea wants to scare the united states, china, or russia into lowering sanctions. >>> nobody really thinks that nor

. south korean workers are continuing to cross into north korea, despite pyongyang cost decision to cut the military hotline with seoul. -- despite pyongyang's decision to cut the military hotline with seoul. it was used for military communications. meanwhile, two u.s. jets capable of carrying nuclear bombs have flown a mission over south korea. the b-2 bombers may be 20,000 kilometer round-trip from missouri in a single flight. harry fawcett has more from seoul. >> the fact that the united states is very publicly -- has very publicly announce the use of b-2 stealth, nuclear-capable bombers over the korean peninsula in the exercises is a very clear message to north korea. just this week, north korea was still reacting with absolute fury to the use of b-52 bombers and nuclear-capable submarines in those exercises, potentially saying that meant -- that could cause conditions were some kind of military response from north korea. the pentagon is taking that rhetoric very seriously. if that was designed to make the u.s. stand down, it seems to have had the opposite effect. it's also some

. >> tensions are high across the korean peninsula as south korea and the u.s. begin their latest in a series of joint military exercises. joining us live now from the south korean capital of seoul. pyongyang as they are tearing up this armistice agreement. what does this all mean? >> they are doing pretty much everything they can, so far short of a physical provocation , to respond to the un security council resolution. they said they would knowledge by the armistice agreement. they confirm they have done that now as of midnight last night. they said they would and their observation of the hotline between the two countries, the red cross hotline at the border village. the south korean side says they tried their daily check at 9:00 a.m. and there was no answer from the north koreans. at the same time there is an industrial complex in side north korean territory that houses south korean firms. hundreds of south koreans crossed the border as usual on a monday morning. there is continued communication on those lines. the defense minister says so far there have been no atypical troop movements in

is of course the topic of today's hearings. north korea's nuclear test in attacks against south korea have been obvious to the entire world. it is drama's attention the fact that north korea engages in a wider way of illicit activities to support its military program in leadership. the north korean machines criminal conduct, including drug smuggling, weapons trafficking, sale of nuclear and ballistic missile technology to rogue regimes in iran and syria and the counterfeiting of u.s. currency, cigarettes and pharmaceuticals serves as a lifeline to keep itself in power. proceeds from criminal activities are distributed to members of the north korean elites, including members of the military to finance the top leadership lifestyle. they're also invested in north korea's little programs. i am one of the few members of congress and i've been there twice. i visited the capital of north korea, pyongyang on both occasions i can tell you the north korean regime would do better to hope that some people give them the things they need rather than spend time and money on nuclear weapons and

escalating tensions on the peninsula, coming after the u.s. staged military drills with south korea. >> woodruff: then, we examine the federal government's proposed rules to limit pollution from automobiles, likely to result in cleaner air and maybe higher prices. >> suarez: hari sreenivasan reports on the mounting backlog at the veterans administration, where the wait time to resolve claims often takes more than a year. >> why should you have to fight? why should you have to fight for your benefits? i wento w, i d wh i h to do. >> woodruff: jeffrey brown talks with author mohsin hamid about his new novel, a tale of love and success exploring the promise and perils of rising asia. >> if you look at a bookshelf in pakistan, or really anywhere in asia, you'll see shelf after shelf full of, you know, "how to become successful," "how to build a spreadsheet" and the newspapers and magazines are full of it, too. >> suarez: and mark shields and david brooks analyze the week's news. >> woodruff: that's all ahead on tonight's "newshour." >> major funding for the pbs newshour has been provided by: >> supp

cutting a military hotline with south korea. a spokesperson for the state department says breaking off communications won't help. >> north korea's bellicose rhetoric and threats follows a pattern to raise tension and intimidate others and we think the latest threats to cut off links with the rhetoric is not constructive to ensuring peace and stability on the peninsula. >> the two koreas do not have diplomatic relations. military liaison officers could connect through telephone and fax lines. but on wednesday, north korean officials cut them. they say now they have no channels of communications with south korea or the u.s. ventrell said u.s. diplomats still have a way to communicate. though he did not specify what that was. he said the north koreans must adhere to the international obligations and refrain from provocative actions. >>> a pro-china business scrapped a plan to buy a taiwanese newspaper. it sparked concern over influence over media in taiwan. the apple daily is one of four major newspapers and is known for publishing articles critical of china. they signed a deal last n

half a billion dollars worth of goods, and this is seen after -- south korea gave north korea unconditionally cash and other things including food, worth hundreds of minutes of dollars per year. and over the course of 10 years during the so-called sunshine policy years, south korea gave north korea unconditionally over $10 billion in aid. now, i don't want to say that was a necessary condition to prolonging the regime, to preserving the north korean regime. but it was a factor. that kind of unconditional nondiscriminating aid i do think is in the best interest of the international community. south korea still as a major joint economic venture with north korea, as you mentioned, a caisson and after complex. the total sum that north korea makes from that enterprise is perhaps about $20 million or so a year. not a huge sum. but as you race, there are questions of north korean made goods that are sold outside the korean peninsula. spent and how much do they get from china? >> well, probably over a billion dollars worth of goods per year. which is a drop in the bucket for the chine

two banks. the latest from seoul. >> south korea's government says it was an attack, a silent simultaneous targeting of five institutions. a journalist as -- at a news channel along with the national networks all saw their computers go black. the networks of two major banks as well as three of their affiliates were paralyzed. >> so far, who did it and the detailed route of the attack had not been figured out. beautys a very delicate -- that contaminates one employee's pc. once the computer is infected, it can be propagated to the old pc's. >> south korea's presidential offices and set up a johnson phillips it -- civilian and military response team. they will investigate whether north korea was the source. >> the president instructed -- first, recover rapidly, and also, come up with measures by for looking at causes. >> of course, the number one suspect is north korea, accused of five attacks on the south since 2009 and issuing daily threats against seoul and its allies. last week, its own media websites went down for two days. p'yongyang blamed the u.s. and south korea caring

country steps up its aggressive talk. tonight we're in south korea with reaction from a region on edge. >>> cheating scandal. dozens indicted, accused of changing answers to pump up test scores. not the students, but the teachers. >>> best medicine with a little high-tech help easing anxiety in patients before they face surgery. yes, there's now an app for that. >>> rescue mission, the battle to save sea lion pups in the pacific and the mystery of why so many are becoming stranded. >>> and sweet success. just in time for easter, 60 years of peeps. >>> good evening. u.s. officials tonight are keeping a wary eye on north korea after the isolated nuclear armed nation announced it is now in a state of war with south korea, and warning that provocations could result in nuclear war. the latest in a series of threatening statements coming from north korea and its young leader, kim jong-un, directed at both the southern neighbor and the united states. there are close to 30,000 american troops in south korea, and tonight there are fears one misstep by either side could ignite a powder keg. nbc'

korea is threatening to down one of the last remaining signs of cooperation with the south. the industrial region is near the border and used by companies from both countries. let's get more. how significant is this latest move from north korea? >> down one of theit is signify are talking about it. they are saying they will close this joint industrial park in south korea continues to consult the integrity of north korea. this threat was issued not by the top echelon of the leadership but by the bureau in charge of such joint projects with the south. the fact that they are talking about this is significant anause caisong has long been area of cooperation between north and south korea. the military hot line was cut off this week which is used to facilitate travel to and from the park back to the south. the park continued operating because they found another way to allow hundreds of people across the border. in 2010, when a warship was fired after north korea fired on it, 50 south koreans were killed by caisong continued to operate. if tensions deteriorated, caisong being shut down

the korean peninsula. the communist north saying it is in a state of war with south korea and american allice. decades of war and new concerns that it will slip to battle and there are nuclear weapons on that peninsula. fox reports and the white house is now responding. also thousands of people potentially expose forced to get tested for deadly diseases all bye because one man, their dentist was reportedly dirty . in minutes waiting to learn the fate of their health. you talking to me? >> you talking to me? >> they are not talking. they are fighting. i am harris faulkner. new threats from north korea it is a state of war south korea and warning that it will shut down the complex that is the latest major symbol of cooperation. the korean war ended in 1953 with a cease fire and not a peace treaty. a difference, a demilitarized zone separates them. u.s. troops are in the south 28,000 and the white house with reaction that talk of war is not constructive and the white house is taking it serious tensions are increasing since north korea new leader kim jong-un ordered a zeries of nu

meantime. first, south korea's banking system came to a grinding halt. then skulls popped up on bank's computers. now investigators are trying to determine whether nuclear armed north korea is response cybil for this hack attack. it all came as lawmakers on capitol hill held a hearing on global cyber attacks. that's next. oh hey, dan! i really like your new jetta! and you want to buy one like mine because it's so safe, right? yeah... yeah... i know what you've heard -- iihs top safety pick for $159 a month -- but, i wish it was more dangerous, like a monster truck or dune buggy! you can't have the same car as me! [ male announcer ] now everyone's gointo want one. let's get a jetta. [ male announcer ] volkswagen springtoberfest is here and there's no better time to get a jetta. that's the power of german engineering. right now lease one of four volkswagen models for under $200 a month. visit vwdealer.com today. [ male announcer ] when it comes to the financial obstacles military families face, we understand. our financial advice is geared specifically to current and former milita

has been stirring things up with the u.s. and neighboring south korea. today the u.s. answered with a symbolic show of force that really represented quite a dramatic effort and late tonight north korea volleyed back by saying they are putting rocket units on stand-by to fire at u.s. military bases. nbc's ian williams reports from the south korean capital, seoul. >> reporter: the two stealth bombers dropped munitions on a range, part of joint military drills scheduled to run through april. they were deployed from missouri, a distance of more than 6,000 miles. a show of force coming at a time of escalating tensions on the korean peninsula. >> we will unequivocally defend and we are unequivocally committed to that alliance with south korea as well as our other allies in that region of the world. >> reporter: angered by the military drills, north korea's young and untested leader kim jong un has issued almost daily threats including the threat of nuclear strikes on the u.s. and seoul. the north threatened u.s. bases in the pacific following tough u.s.-led sanctions imposed after pyongya

especially with the u.s. and south korea conducting drills. syria has upped the ante, threatening to nuke washington and tossing out the cease fire with south korea. change in strategy here? show of force? >> it's really interesting. i just came out of a briefing at the pentagon with the secretary of defense, chuck hagel, and the chairman of the join chiefs and they talked about the develops on the korean peninsula. these are pictures taken from the ground of the two b-2 bombers sent from the united states. the bomber is capable of carrying nuclear weapons. they dropped inert bobs as -- inert bombs as part of the exercises. the north koreans have been seeing those exercises as provocative, have taken measures that have worried some at the pentagon, and this is what we have from defense secretary hagel just moments ago. >> i thing very provocative actions, and belligerent tone, has ratcheted it up, the danger, and we have to understand that reality. >> the pentagon taking very seriously the threats, the rhetoric, the rising rhetoric and actions of kim jong-un. >> shepard: a price?

just as the u.s. and south korea step up annual military exercises. the threat also comes on the heels of stepped up u.n. sanctions and pong yong's stepped up choices. pyong yong has stepped it up. should we? >> well, you're absolutely right. the korean pea nin sue la is headed for war. they they made that wake to nullify the agreement back in 1953. now no one exactly knows what that means, but there are concerns that north korea could perhaps say some sort of military provocation or raid that could really fire up facilities on the korean peninsula. there was a threat of a preemptive nuclear strike on the united states and south korea. they've threatened to strike before but never a nuclear strike. just late last night, pri anna, we had word from the korean state broadcaster that very much the korean peninsula was on the brink of war and that they were ready for war. what does this mean? nobody knows. we are dealing with a pariah, an isolated state that no one can know, kim jong-un, anyone is thinking, you chave to assume that perhaps north korea does have something up its sleeve. >> i

-aggression agreements with south korea. their announcement follows the u.n. security council's approval of tougher sanctions against the north. council members made the move to punish the reclusive nation for carrying out a nuclear test last month. >> translator: the united states and south korea went as far as adopting a u.n. security council resolution to impose more sanctions on our country while trying to set off a nuclear war. >> a statement by the committee in charge of interkorean dialogue says north korea will scrap non-aggression being pacts with the south starting monday. the same says the country will close the north/south hotline at the demilitarized zone. authorities at pyongyang said they would cancel the 1953 armistice that ended hostilities in the korean war. they justified that decision by saying they were responding to u.s./south korea military exercises that started a week ago and will continue into april. north korea's announcement has sparked strong reactions in seoul. south korean defense officials say they're ready to strike back against anything the nort

transporting supplies. the drill will last two months. officials from south korea's defense ministry say the north's military has been stepping up its winter time training and suspect north korean forces may conduct a large-scale exercise in early march. the u.s./south korea joint command notified north korea about the drills in advance. the north has come under intense criticism for carrying out a third nuclear test last month. it also launched a rocket in december which other countries suspect was a ballistic missile. the drill is being carried out amid heightening tensions on the peninsula. the north korea newspaper, "rodong sinmun," says the country cannot allow a threat that will maximize the risk of a nuclear war. >>> shop owners in south korea have launched a boycott of products from japan. they're responding to developments in a territorial dispute that's divided the nations. south korea controls islands that japan claims. a merchants group with an estimated 6 million members launched the campaign. representatives say they're protesting against japan's recent action

korea is now claiming it has a nuclear warhead that can hit the united states. >> south korea, its neighbor, is much more vulnerable. >> exactly. they already have 800 or so missiles that could hit south korea. perhaps 300 that could hit all of japan. possibly 100 that could hit u.s. bases. >> the u.s. has a military alliance with south korea. you think that could be tested soon? >> it is always tested in a way. deter north korea or, if necessary, to seek any kind of incursion. the u.s. has pledged it will extend all necessary means, including the nuclear umbrella to deter or, if necessary, defend south korea. >> what exactly does the youthful leader want at this point? >> he is just continuing the policies of his predecessors. then he had hoped because he studied for a few years that he might be different. he might be more willing to implement economic reform or moderate his fathers and grandfathers foreign-policy. that has not been the case. if anything, we have seen the belligerence and aggression has increased. he oversaw three acts of violence of the un security council resolu

korea says they are on the edge of war with south korea. an escalation of rhetoric with seoul and the u.s. italy's president giorgio napolitano says he will increase gridlock.ts to break and in cyprus, residents may eue 60% of savings to the rescue package. >> tensions run high in the korean peninsula as north korea says that there in the state of war with the south joint military exercises with the south -- washington and south korea have avoided the war of words, but both say that they are monitoring the situation and dismissed the statement as propaganda. >> a huge rally in pyongyang choreographed that north korea means business. they pledged to defend kim jong- un to the death, and the marshall rehtorihetoric escalatd by the day. state tv announced that pyongyang said they will treat all matters with wartime protocol. panic at the latest threats. >> the south koreans are not that nervous. many times. this breakt think worarwar will out. north korea would collapse and i don't think they will commit suicide. >> they could hit targets as far as alaska but it is likely pyongyang is wo

military drills with south korea. this comes just hours before the un security council is due to vote on a new set of sanctions against north korea. northeast asia project director at the international crisis group is joining us by skype from seoul. good to see you there. take us through how serious you think this threat is. north korea does not have a nuclear missile, as such, but it does have access to new year material. -- nuclear material. , are you hearing us? it is al jazeera here. >> yes, you sound great. >> tell me, just how serious do you think this threat is? it does not have the ability to launch a nuclear missile, does it? >> well, that isup -- is up to debate, what types of missiles and what kind of rib -- what kind of reliability they might have. they probably have some unorthodox, unconventional delivery method, submarine or something like that. but as far as having a robust second strike capability, i don't think they have that. particularly anything long- range. >> this is a clear ramping up of the rhetoric compared to what we heard from his father. how worrying is th

south korea and said the time had come to, quote, settle accounts with the u.s. state television reported that kim had ordered his forces on standby to strike the u.s., south korea, guam and hawaii. in one photo targets appear to include austin, texas. experts doubt he has the ability to hit the u.s. but they fear a provocation here in the yellow sea disputed waters where south korean ferries skirt around north korean territory. baengnyeong island is home to 5,000 south korean civilians and many soldiers. it sits just ten miles from the border. kim jong-un, seen recently peering at this island through binoculars, threatened to turn it into a sea of flames. so he was on that island there? >> yes. >> reporter: does that worry you? this man has lived here for 49 years. he's heard the threats before but never like this. the island is a fortress lined with fencing and mine fields. the fortifications stretch all the way down the coast here. 30 foot wide wall and on top layers of razor wire. locals say the army is tense. a network of underground bomb shelters is being made ready. these

going show of defiance against south korea and the u.s. they're vowing to scrap the arm sift signed in 1965 that ended the korean war. they're responding to joint south korea-u.s. military drills that are currently under way. a senior military official with the korean people's army made the announcement on state-run tv. the statement denounces the joint drills which began last friday and will last two months. it says the armistice will no longer be in effect as of march 11th. it also says north korean representatives who are stationed at the demilitarized zones dividing the two koreas will spend their activities as liaison officers. the statement says authorities in pyongyang are willing to take substantial measures against the south korea-and u.s. drills. the korean warm ended with an arm stist leaving them technically in a stast war. >>> government officials in venezuela say president hugo chavez's condition is worsened. he is fighting new complication after cancer surgery. he has a weakening immune system. supporters are praying for his recovery at a chapel in the hospital. the pres

is that north korea is now claiming it has a nuclear warhead that can hit the united states. >> south korea, its neighbor, is much more vulnerable. >> exactly. they already have 800 or so missiles that could hit south korea. perhaps 300 that could hit all of japan. possibly 100 that could hit u.s. bases. >> the u.s. has a military alliance with south korea. you think that could be tested soon? >> it is always tested in a way. deter north korea or, if necessary, to seek any kind of incursion. the u.s. has pledged it will extend all necessary means, including the nuclear umbrella to deter or, if necessary, defend south korea. >> what exactly does the youthful leader want at this point? >> he is just continuing the policies of his predecessors. then he had hoped because he studied for a few years that he might be different. he might be more willing to implement economic reform or moderate his fathers and grandfathers foreign-policy. that has not been the case. if anything, we have seen the belligerence and aggression has increased. he oversaw three acts of violence of the un security cou